


A Gilded Shadow

by Prince_Ofluff



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M, One Shot, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 05:16:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13991244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_Ofluff/pseuds/Prince_Ofluff
Summary: Erik will never see the world the way T'Challa sees it. That's fine by him as long as he can be the one to watch his King's back.





	A Gilded Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> A short little idea that came to me after watching the movie!

 

 

 

It began when they were children.

Erik’s father had told him stories of their homeland. Of the prosperous people, the advanced cities and the beautiful sunsets. He had told him all of this and that because of the key that he was given that he would be accepted. Someday.

That day came sooner than either of them had expected. N’Jobu and Rebekha had died in an accident while T’Chaka had been working on getting the council to agree in allowing Erik’s mother to join them in Wakanda. The king himself had come to gather the son of his lifelong friend, one he would call brother, and take him home.

When he had first arrived Erik was too full of anger to see the beauty of Wakanda. He was told his given name was N’Jadaka but he refused to acknowledge it. He didn’t tell anyone that he was named after his mother’s grandfather and while there were some disapproving looks no one insisted he go by anything but Erik.

He sulked and was disrespectful to all of those around him. He shunned the company of anyone who tried to befriend him and spent most of his time alone in his room cursing the strange land. This strange land that was supposed to be home; but how could it ever be home without his mother and father?

He knew that what he was doing was not helping his position. The king tried to shield him from it since he was only a boy but one of the benefits of being loud was no one noticed you when you were quiet. He heard the king argue with the council that by right of his father’s blood alone he should be welcomed and treated as any of their sons. He heard how they called him ‘tainted’ from the outside world. How he was too different from them to ever truly be accepted. He wondered if he wanted to be the type of person these people would accept.

He remembered Oakland. He remembered the gangs and the fights, the guns and the drugs. He remembered all that even when his mother sang softly too him and covered his ears. Even when his father tried to hide the dangerous way he made his money. He remembered the struggle and the way they were treated. How could these people ever understand?

The only person he seemed to pay any mind to was Queen Ramonda. At her word alone he would mind his manners, only her reproachful gaze would make him stifle his anger. He knew that his own parents would be ashamed of the way he was acting but there was so much fury inside of him that it sometimes felt like too much for his body to hold. Somehow the Queen seemed to sense this and instead of judging him for his anger she guided him. 

“Erik this is my son Prince T’Challa. T’Challa this is Erik.” Her tone was soft but her eyes were watchful as the two boys met for the first time.

Of course T’Challa had heard of the strange boy his father had brought with him from the outside. His eyes were dark and curious and he gave a small, shy smile. He had also heard what the council had said about the boy, and while he knew they were respected elders sometimes he thought they were a little quick to stick to the old ways. “Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Erik sneered ready to give a biting retort but at the delicate arch of the Queen’s brow he swallowed his words. He looked at the younger boy and realized that while there was no way he could not have heard what people were saying about him none of that reached his eyes. His eyes were open and honest, he held out his hand in welcome and Erik had almost spurned it in anger that was not rightfully directed at him.

“Yeah, nice to meet you too.” He held out his own hand and gave a quick shake before his shoulders slumped “You know anywhere around here to play some basketball? For all your fancy stuff you sure don’t have a lot of fun things to do.”

T’Challa’s eyes were bright with curiosity. “What is basketball? How do you play this?”

The Queen smiled as for the first time the anger that had been wrapped around Erik like a protective shield slowly dropped away as he loudly started to proclaim the joys of basketball and how no country was truly advanced if they didn’t have it.

 

It began when they were children but it grew as they became young men.

 

T’Challa was rarely without Erik by his side. By his calming influence and the open acceptance the rest of the court slowly stopped giving Erik distrustful looks and sly whispers. In return Erik allowed is eyes to be opened for the first time and see the beauty of the world around him. He sat and watched the sunsets with T’Challa and through him met Shuri and W’Kabi. For the first time since his parent’s death he was not alone.

Erik never lost his fear of losing someone again. Especially T’Challa

 

He watched as T’Challa prepared to take his father’s place as King one day. He watched as he trained and prepared his body to become one with the Black Panther. He never truly forgot Oakland; and while T’Challa was certainly strong and well trained Erik privately thought he fought too honorably. Sometimes the only way to win was to play dirty.

Once again the Queen seemed to sense the darkness in Erik and once again she directed it.

One day when T’Challa was training with the Dora Malaje she took Erik to a cavern adjacent to the one where the heart shaped blooms were kept.

It was smaller but no less well cared for. There were some of the blooms here as well but Erik did not see the usual markings of the Panther Goddess on the wall. Instead he saw something else. “What’s this one? I ain’t never heard of him.”

The Queen smiled. “There is much in the world that relies on balance. The Black Panther is noble and just and has lead our people for time beyond measure. However the Panther also has a shadow. Our Goddess has a very protective husband that is more than his share of fury. It is he who protects our Goddess’s back when she is in battle. For while she fights to defend her people, he fights only for her. For her he would let the world burn and spurn the ashes.”

Erik’s eyes lit up as he looked at the large depiction of the God. He was outlined in gold and something about his expression made a thrill rise in Erik’s heart.

In the image was what could only be the Black Panther fighting, but along the ground where a shadow would lay sprang a form a form of gold with a spear raised, he faced not the enemy coming from in front, but the ones coming from behind.

“The Black Panther is like our moon and the Golden Jaguar is our sun. He is a god of vengeance and wrath.” She turned to look at Erik fully. “But that does not mean he is an evil God. Those things when channeled for the right purpose can do much good.”

Erik managed to pull his eyes away from the god and he watched the Queen through his braids. “You sure know a lot about this guy.”

The queen gave a slow smile and gently pulled forward a necklace that depicted the jaguar’s golden face. “It is as traditional and sacred as the role of the Panther. We do what we must to protect the ones we love.”

That was the day Erik’s training truly began.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! (I should work on my other stories now...)


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